Hoda Barakat is a Lebanese writer currently living in France. Barakat was born in Lebanon in 1952 where she remained and began writing until she fled the war-torn region in 1989. Although her first published work was released in 1985, she received a degree in French literature in 1974. Her passion for France can be seen in her decision to flee there during the civil war.

      Although she is remarkably tight-lipped about her personal life in most interviews, she is quite open about her reasons for fleeing Lebanon. As her novels are all narratives centered around the war, this comes as no surprise. She cites her two children as the driving force behind her move to France. She feared for their safety, and so moved with them to her sisters small apartment in Paris. In one interview, she begins to discuss the father of her children but quickly defers to another topic. One begins to suspect that perhaps her personal life is just as fascinating as the narratives she crafts in her novels. In fact she is quoted in an article in Al Jadid as saying that the reader would “find all the "crumbs" of [her] life” in her writing.

      Barakat is currently living and working in France as radio broadcaster, while presumably working on her next masterpiece.  She is quoted in the same article in Al Jadid as saying that “There is always a new novel in preparation!” So far her works have been critically acclaimed and well received, so there is no doubt that her next work will live up to the name she has made for herself.

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Banipal Magazine of Modern Arab Literature. Hoda Barakat. Banipal Magazine. Web. 13 Nov. 2012

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Rakha, Youssef. “Starting Over.” Al-Ahram Weekly On-line. 457 (1999) n. page. Web. 16 November 2012.

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“Hoda Barakat” AWSA United. Web. 16 November 2012.

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Marie, Elizabeth. “Woven Archives of Beirut: A Conversation with Hoda Barakat.”  Al-Jadid. Vol. 8. No. 309. (2002)

       n. page.  Web. 16 November 2012.